In their series finale against the Athletics on Sunday, the New York Yankees lineup authored the franchise's biggest inning in more than two decades as part of a 13-8 win.
Down 3-0 in the top of the third, the Yankees sent 18 batters to the plate and scored 13 runs, 10 of which came before the A's recorded an out in the frame. The first 12 New York batters of the inning also reached safely. Along the way, Yankee hitters racked up 11 hits, drew four walks, and stole four bases.
Those 13 runs in a single inning are the most by the Yankees' offense since they put up 13 in an inning against the Tampa Bay Rays on June 21, 2005. The only time the Yankees scored more runs in an inning was courtesy of Babe Ruth and company, who put 14 on the board in the fifth inning on July 6, 1920, against the Washington Senators. That means that Sunday's top of the third is tied for the Yankees' biggest inning in more than a century.
Additionally, according to CBS Sports Research, the 13 runs are the most scored in an inning without a home run since 1945, when the Boston Red Sox also scored 13. The record for the modern era (since 1900) is 14 by the 1920 Washington Nationals. As well, not since at least 1974 have the Yankees scored 10 or more runs in an inning before an out was recorded. Ben Rice supplied most of the power in the frame, as he doubled and tripled. He was one of three Yankee batters to have two hits in the inning. Cody Bellinger and Anthony Volpe were the other two.
Here's how it all looked as every hitter in the Yankee lineup came up twice in the inning:
Framed another way, here's the bullet-point blow-by-blow for the 43-minute (!) top of the third:
- Single
- Walk
- Walk
- Single
- Double
- Single
- Single
- Walk
- Single
- Single
- Double
- Walk
- Strikeout
- Triple
- Strikeout
- Single
- Single
- Flyout
It took three A's pitchers a total of 75 pitches to get through the inning. Seven of the 13 runs were charged to A's starter Jacob Lopez. The Yankees didn't manage a run or a hit in the other eight innings on Sunday, but that wound up not mattering.
While the Yankee offense has struggled with consistency this season, partly because of a front-loaded lineup, they still came in as one of the more potent attacks in Major League Baseball. Prior to Sunday's onslaught, the Yankees this season ranked fourth in MLB in runs scored (and tops among American League teams) and second in OPS. They also led the majors in home runs. Suffice it to say, those figures -- besides the home runs, at least -- will look even stronger after Sunday's results are baked in.
The win pushes the Yankees to 36-23 on the season. In the AL East, they trail the first-place Tampa Bay Rays by 1 ½ games, and they occupy the top wild card spot. The A's are now 28-31 thus far in 2026 and trail the Seattle Mariners by a close margin in the AL West standings. The outcome of the rubber match means the Yankees took two of three from the A's and overall have won six of their last seven. The Yankees' current run differential is an AL-best plus-98.
